This invention relates generally to a children""s toy, and, more particularly to, a ball launching and collection activity device.
Various amusement devices that allow children to collect balls or to collect and reinsert balls into a device are known in the art. For example, it is known to provide a ball collection game where balls are blown upward from an apparatus and collected by a basket or other hand held device. Since the balls are air blown, they are typically small and light in weight. The user typically stands next to the apparatus so that he may collect the balls with the hand held device as they are blown from the bottom of the apparatus. If a ball is not collected, it will drop back into the apparatus. The apparatus continues to blow the balls until the user collects all of the balls.
It is also known to provide a ball collection game where the user attempts to shoot balls into a cylindrical opening. Once the ball is correctly inserted through the opening, it travels through the device and is released at the bottom of the device so that the user may continuously shoot the ball towards the opening.
Additionally, it is known to launch balls from a machine in an athletic environment. Athletic ball launching machines are used to assist the development of motor skills, such as handxe2x80x94eye coordination, as well as to practice various athletic skills. For example, a tennis ball launching machine duplicates various shots, such as a lob or a line drive wherein the user practices his shot by returning the various shots towards the tennis ball launching machine. A baseball launching machine duplicates line drives, pop ups and grounders wherein the user may practice fielding the baseballs from the baseball launching machine. Thus, both the tennis ball launcher and the baseball launcher simulate various environments that enable the user to develop various athletic skills.
Athletic ball launching machines, however, typically include a flywheel mechanism that is used to launch a ball out of the apparatus. Often, the timing of the launching mechanism is offset and the balls become jammed within the flywheel launching mechanism potentially causing the mechanism to malfunction.
Additionally, the prior art ball launching apparatuses do not provide children with the opportunity to collect balls that are randomly launched away from the top of the apparatus and to insert the collected balls back into the apparatus.
Thus, it is desirable to create an improved ball collection and launching apparatus that enables children to develop motor skills as well as burn energy.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a ball collection and launching apparatus that shoots balls out of the top of the device in various directions and at various speeds.
It is another object of the invention to provide a ball collection and launching apparatus that may be used simultaneously by a number of children.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a ball launching device with minimal parts thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of the product.
These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements herein after described and claimed.
The present invention is directed to a ball launching device having an outer housing, a bowl and a launch assembly. The bowl and launch assembly are disposed in the outer housing. The bowl has a cone shaped wall and a vertical linear wall. The launch assembly is coupled to the bowl. The launch assembly includes a pulley energized by a motor that rotates the bowl. When the bowl rotates at a high speed, the cone shaped wall enables balls in the bowl to ascend up an inner surface of the bowl and propel out of the device.